HAMBURG - An escaped inmate from the Schuylkill County Prison was taken back into custody early Saturday morning.
"We got him," Sheriff Joseph G. Groody said Saturday.
Groody said police found Jessie Wolfe, 30, of Schuylkill Haven, about 12:45 a.m. near a wooded area along the Schuylkill River in Tilden Township, Berks County. He was still in handcuffs and a prison jumpsuit.
"He was hiding in the river bank and would go underwater when people were passing or the helicopters went by," Groody said.
Wolfe ran from two sheriff deputies about 4 p.m. Friday when they were escorting Wolfe and two other inmates from the county courthouse to the prison across the street. He then went into a nearby housing development and stole a 2000 Oldsmobile minivan.
The minivan was found late Friday night in a trailer park in Tilden Township, but Groody said Wolfe found another vehicle and drove through Lehigh and Lebanon counties before coming back to the area.
"He is very quick and got access to a cellphone," Groody said.
Police are investigating those who may have helped Wolfe evade police.
Wolfe was originally arrested Monday after Schuylkill Haven police had to chase him on foot through the borough. Borough police said Wolfe was a passenger in a vehicle they stopped, but he got out of the car and ran when police realized there was a warrant out for his arrest in Berks County. The police caught Wolfe about 30 minutes later.
Wolfe was also arraigned Tuesday on separate charges for leading police on a high-speed chase through the borough May 24.
Groody said Wolfe was added to the list to be taken to the courthouse in the late afternoon Friday. The other two inmates being escorted at the time were chained together. Groody said groups of 10 or 20 are chained together and occasionally two inmates.
"He just happened to be cuffed alone," Groody said.
Pennsylvania State Police in several counties assisted the search as well as the U.S. Marshall's Office, the Berks County Sheriff's department, Reading police K-9 units and Tilden Township police.
"State police and the Marshall's office were a great help along with Tilden Township," Groody said. "They were with us until the end."
Pottsville police charged Wolfe on the escape, burglary, criminal trespassing, theft and receiving stolen property. He was arraigned Saturday morning and remanded to Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $75,000 cash bail.